High nitrogen-containing oil processing

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved process for reducing the pour point of oil feedstocks containing high levels of total nitrogen, e.g. shale oil or fractions thereof, wherein the same is contacted with a catalyst comprising a boron-containing crystalline material having the structure of zeolite ZSM-5 under conditions including elevated temperature and pressure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for reducing the pour point of an oil feedstock having a nitrogen content of up to about 3 weight percent which comprises contacting said feedstock under pour point reducing conditions with a catalyst comprising a boron-containing crystalline material having an X-ray diffraction pattern substantially as set forth in Table 1. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 wherein said crystalline material has an anhydrous composition as synthesized, in terms of mole ratios of oxides, as follows:   (R.sub.2 O, M.sub.2/n O).sub.W :(Al.sub.2 O.sub.3).sub.X :(B.sub.2 O.sub.3).sub.Z :(SiO.sub.2).sub.Y     wherein W/X+Z is from greater than about 0.5 to less than about 3; Y/X+Z is greater than about 20; Z/X+Z is from about 0.6 to about 1.0; R is a nitrogen-containing cation; M is a metal from Group IA of the Periodic Table of Elements, ammonium, hydrogen or mixtures thereof; and n is the valence of M.   
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 wherein said crystalline material has been ion exchanged with ammonium ions, hydrogen ions, metal ions or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1 wherein said crystalline material has been calcined. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 2 wherein said catalyst comprises the calcined product of the as synthesized crystalline material. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 3 wherein said crystalline material has been calcined. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 wherein said feedstock is selected from the group consisting of raw shale oil, hydrotreated shale oil, a fraction of raw shale oil, a fraction of hydrotreated shale oil and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein said feedstock is selected from the group consisting of tar sands bitumen and fractions thereof, coal liquids and fractions thereof and petroleum liquids and fractions thereof. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein the pour point reducing conditions include a temperature of from about 600° F. to about 850° F., a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.2 to about 2.0, a pressure of from about 400 psig to about 2500 psig and a hydrogen circulation rate of from about 500 SCF/BBl to about 10,000 SCF/BBl.